In early February 2023 a series of earthquakes hit the Kahrananmaras area causing devastating damage, loss of life and injury to many thousands of people in southern Turkey and north-west Syria.
As a university community our thoughts are with all those impacted by this global emergency.
Immediately after news of the earthquakes our International Advice team wrote to all Turkish and Syrian student to offer our support. Our International Advisers and Wellbeing Advisers are here to support you and answer any questions or concerns you may have so please do get in touch by email or visit their offices in Founder's East, 1st floor.
Our International Advisers and Wellbeing Advisers are here to support you and answer any questions or concerns you may have so please do get in touch by email or visit Founder's East, room 132.
Wellbeing: International Advice
- Tom Pease, Catherine Lithgow, Scott Lindsay, Amanda Ellis and Szu Ho.
Wellbeing: Support & Guidance
- Lucy Cox, Emma Stanley, Steve Stubbs, Chris Evans, Delphine Green, JD Charles-Hawkins, and Hannah Jelbart
For students who have been financially impacted by the earthquakes or whose family circumstances have changed please contact our Financial Advice team for further support and advice.
.Students may be able to access financial support from our Study Support Grant or via a short-term loan.
Wellbeing: Financial Advice
- Kate Corti and Kerry Prendergast.
Togetherall and Student Space are external support options here to support you.
Find out how to join the Togetherall community here.
For supporrt from Student Space you can text ‘STUDENT’ to 85258 to start a conversation about your worries, or explore one of their other direct support services. Find out more here.
Contact your Personal Tutor or School Office to discuss the support that will help you at this time.
We cannot begin to imagine the full extent of the impact on your studies at the moment. We recognise that this will be different for each of you - and a situation that may fluctuate. Extenuating Circumstances and Extensions are available to support you should you have difficulties in being able to complete assessments, submit a piece of assessed work or undertake an exam.
These regulations apply to all students studying on taught programmes (or for taught elements of a research programmes) including programmes offered with / via our partners, such as Kaplan (Singapore) and the NHS.
You can find out more here.
If you are experiencing difficulties with being able to travel home as planned at the spring (Easter) break, please speak to the Residential Services Team in the Hub, George Eliot or Kingswood Receptions
You can find their telephone and location contact details here or can contact them by email.
The British Red Cross run a free and confidential international family tracing service which can help find your family if you haven’t been able to contact them yourself. They may be able to help you if you are in the UK and want to:
- find your missing family
- send a message to your family (but not money or packages)
They help families reconnect with loved ones who have lost contact because of an armed conflict, migration, and natural disaster. This includes finding partners of people who are not married and those looking for their same-sex partners.
Help to find missing family - find out how to access support here.
We understand that the current news is distressing and worrying for everyone and not just those directly impacted. It is understandable to be experiencing these feelings and we're here to support you through this. Do remember:
- It is a natural and normal response to feel upset, angry and distressed by world events and emergencies. Take ownership of your feelings and share how you feel by talking to a friend, family or a member of our team.
- Take care of you and remember to do things that make you happy and relaxed - go for a walk, listen to a podcast, head to the gym or have a coffee with a friend.
- Regulate your consumption of the news in all formats and make sure when you do catch up you get your information from accurate sources. Don't become overwhelmed with trying to keep up with every aspect of what is happening.
- Focus on the positive - for all the upsetting news we see each day there are reports of bravery, compassion and hope emerging from the scene of the earthquake and it is important to recognise these for what they are.
You can access all of our Wellbeing services on line or in person - find out how here.
Many of us want to help those impacted by the disaster in the Kahrananmaras area
Our Turkish Society are working with local charities, organisations and student societies to support arrangements for the collection and delivery of humanitarian aid.
On Thursday 9 February the Royal Holloway Turkish Society organised a collection in aid of victims of the Kahramanmaras earthquake. Essential items such as winter clothing were donated and will now go to King's College London before being sent to the people who desperately need them
We will share new projects as we are made aware of them.
There are a number of charities already set up to assist with the provision of aid and you may consider helping via donating or supporting these charities and organisations.
